A17183:767
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But here we have for the making good of our argument, an evident prophecy of Isaiah, who foretelleth that kings & princes after the times of Christ, and the revealing of the Gospel, should have a diligent care of the Church, & should by that means become the feeders and nourices of the faithful. Now it is evident what it is to feed & to nourish: for it is all one as if he should have said, that they s•ould be the fathers & mothers of the Church. But he could not have said that rightly, if the care of religion did not belong to Princes, but to Bishops alone. The words of Isaiah are these: Behold I will stretch out my hand unto the Gentiles, 1and set up my token to the people, & they shall bring thee thy sons in their laps, and thy daughters on their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, & Queens thy nursing mothers, they shall fall before thee with their faces flat upon the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet &c. Shall not we say, that all this is fully performed in some Christian princes? Among whom the first was the holy Emperor Constantine, 2who by calling a general council, ⟨p. 181⟩did determine to establish true & sincere doctrine in the Church of Christ, with a settled purpose utterly to root out all false and heretical phantasies and opinions. And when the bishops did not go rightly to work by the true rule and touchstone of the Gospel and of charity, he blamed them, upbraiding them with tyrannical cruelty, and declaring therewithal what peace the Lord had granted by his means to the Churches. Adding moreover that it were a detestable thing, if the bishops forgetting to thank God for his gift of peace, should go on among themselves to bait one an other with mutual reproaches & taunting libels, thereby giving occasion of delight and laughter to wicked idolaters: when as of duty they ought rather to handle and treat of matters of religion. For (saith he) the books of the Evangelists, Apostles, and Oracles of the ancient Prophets, are they which must instruct us to the understanding of Gods holy law. Let us expel therefore this quarrelling strife, and think upon the questions proposed to resolve them by the words of Scripture inspired from above.
But here wée haue for the making good of our argument, an euident prophecie of Esai, who foretelleth that kinges & princes after the times of Christ, and the reuealing of the Gospell, should haue a diligent care of the Church, & should by that meanes become the féeders and nourices of the faithfull. Now it is euident what it is to feede & to nourish: for it is al one as if he shold haue said, that they sould be the fathers & mothers of the Church. But hée could not haue said that rightly, if the care of religion did not belong to Princes, but to Bishops alone. The words of Esaie are these: Behold I wil stretch out my hand vnto the Gentiles,